LESSON 36 - Watch Out for Boards Asleep at the Wheel

Welcome to More Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom Blog, a 40-week journey through the new book, More Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom, by Dan Busby and John Pearson. Each Wednesday, we're featuring a guest writer’s favorite snippet from the week's topic. Steve Altick is our guest blogger this week for the first of five lessons in "Part 10: Building a 24/7 Board Culture.” And during this COVID-19 era, the role of the board becomes even more critical. We pray that your board will have God-honoring wisdom as you spiritually discern next steps.

LESSON 36 OF 40: Watch Out for Boards Asleep at the Wheel
Golden opportunities are missed when a board’s eyes are wide shut.

THE BIG IDEA FROM THE BOOK: Boards have routines for meetings and board members develop expectations of what the meeting will be like. If meetings do not involve and engage board members, they will succumb to drowsiness and lose motivation to engage in the agenda. So examine your board meeting routines.

Board organization and responsibilities need to be understood and involve all members. If board members are not all on the right page, they may fall asleep. The board leadership is responsible for involving and challenging board members—inspiring them to stay mission-focused, and to stay within the established board policies.

MY FAVORITE INSIGHTS from Lesson 36, pages 194-197:
• It all starts with recruiting the right board members who understand their role and the policies and procedures that govern the board.
• Board members must learn to focus on the big picture, be insightful and ask for information.
• Boards must understand the difference between operations and oversight, the biblical example of the “hireling” and the shepherd (John 10). Ownership of the ministry is the key to staying awake. 

MY COLOR COMMENTARY: 

When I was flying fighter aircraft, your life literally depended on using the checklist. If you were asleep or not focused, it could be serious. One day I missed taking the safety pins out of the ejection seat, which meant if I had needed to eject in an emergency—the seat would not have worked. So after the mission, when I went to put the safety pins in the seat, I realized they had never been removed—a lesson learned!

I recall an organization that recruited new board members from the business community. They had resources needed by the ministry. But with no training and expectations regarding their board roles—they were inattentive to much of the board’s business. Eyes wide shut!

Finally, each board member brings unique gifts and insights to the board team. As a board member, it’s important to understand these unique differences—and to support and participate in whatever the board is discussing. That’s the key to success and staying awake! 

 

THIS WEEK’S QUOTES & COMMENTARY BY STEVE ALTICK:

STEVE ALTICK served as the CEO at Camp Berachah Ministries (now Black Diamond Camps) for 33 years. He also served in leadership with Christian Camp & Conference Association as sectional president, regional director, and board chair.  He is a Vietnam Veteran with 23 years of service. He remains associated with Black Diamond Camp and is active as a consultant with camps and nonprofits. Steve and his wife, Kathy, reside in Yakima, Wash.

 TO DO TODAY:
• Have your board do a self-evaluation on their actual experience versus their expectations when they first joined the board.
• Review past minutes and agendas to evaluate the allocation of “board time” invested in your various agenda items. Are you investing your time appropriately?
• Visit the ECFA Knowledge Center and read and share the short chapter, Lesson 36, “Watch Out for Boards Asleep at the Wheel.”

NEXT WEDNESDAY: On Sept. 16, 2020, watch for the commentary by Brian Heerwagen on Lesson 37, “How Many Board Members Are Present in Your Boardroom? It’s more than just answering the roll call.”

ORDER THE BOOK TODAY!

BULK ORDERS: Click here. For more resources and to download the book's Table of Contents, visit the book's webpage.

LESSON 27 – Address Absentee Board Member Syndrome

Welcome to More Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom Blog, a 40-week journey through the new book, More Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom, by Dan Busby and John Pearson. Each Wednesday, we're featuring a guest writer’s favorite snippet from the week's topic. Tom Beaumont is our guest blogger this week for the fourth of four lessons in "Part 7: Boardroom Best Practices.” And during this COVID-19 era, the role of the board becomes even more critical. We pray that your board will have God-honoring wisdom as you spiritually discern next steps.

LESSON 27 OF 40: Address Absentee Board Member Syndrome
There are three unhealthy ways that many ministry boards respond to empty chairs at board meetings.

THE BIG IDEA FROM THE BOOK: In Lesson 27, the authors address the all too common problem of no-shows at a scheduled board meeting. From “I hope we have enough for a quorum today” to “I wonder where Joe is, I thought he was coming,” absenteeism is very real and needs a real remedy. Ignoring the empty seats (as tempting as that is) will not result in a healthy board environment.

So what is? Well, part of the answer is recruitment and part of the answer is engagement. Preparation is critical, as is structure. But the root of the remedy is found in motivation and motivation springs from a clear answer to the question, “Why am I here?”

MY FAVORITE INSIGHTS from Lesson 27, pages 146-150:
• “Leverage a re-commitment time each year with an annual affirmation statement.”
• “Engage the board with an engaging agenda.”
• “No one should be surprised that absenteeism will be addressed when necessary and in a God-honoring way.” 

MY COLOR COMMENTARY:
In the world of camp it is often said, “to bore a kid is a sin.” In the world of the boardroom, total absence of boredom is unachievable (sorry). But what can be achieved is good preparation. The first step in keeping butts in boardroom seats is to be ready, organized, and professional in your planning. Lack of pre-meeting information and in-meeting structure and post-meeting follow-up invites un-involvement.

Engagement, however, is the key. I don’t know how many times I have described board members as either being “engaged” or “not engaged.” It’s the difference between being a bump on a log or on the edge of your seat. It changes board meeting time from being a matter of endurance to an expectation of contribution. Engagement is the posture of members knowing that their absence creates a hole that won’t easily be filled and will, in fact, lessen the effectiveness of the board.

Maybe that kind of engagement seems unattainable. But even the smallest measure of it requires motivation. Board members need more than a sense of duty to get them to a meeting and engaged in it. They need to not only love the ministry they are in (that’s the easy part) but know they are critical to its success. They need to grasp that the spiritual objectives carried out by those in the trenches (the staff) must first be grounded in good governance (the board)—and that is a very high calling. 

THIS WEEK’S QUOTES & COMMENTARY BY TOM BEAUMONT:

TOM BEAUMONT is the CEO of The Firs Bible and Missionary Conference, a multi-site, multi-ministry focused on camps and retreats that will celebrate its centennial in 2021. Tom has served at The Firs for almost 36 years with over 40 years in full-time Christian camping. Tom and his wife, Mary, live in Bellingham, Wash., and have three grown children in Oregon and Washington. He has been associated with CCCA (Christian Camp and Conference Association) his whole career and currently serves on the CCCA board of directors as vice-chair.

TO DO TODAY:
• Have the right person with the right skills and the necessary time to serve in the critical position of board chair.  
• Work on achieving greater clarity in regards to board meetings, responsibilities, and mission. 
• Visit the ECFA Knowledge Center and read and share the short chapter, Lesson 27, “Address Absentee Board Member Syndrome.”

NEXT WEDNESDAY: On July 15, 2020, watch for the commentary by Mike Clabaugh on Lesson 28, “Defending Risks Everywhere Is Not a Strategic Plan. You must discuss the risk elephant in the room.”

ORDER THE BOOK TODAY!

BULK ORDERS: Click here. For more resources and to download the book's Table of Contents, visit the book's webpage.